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Dental health status of community‐dwelling older Singaporeans: findings from a nationally representative survey
Author(s) -
Chiu ChiTsun,
Malhotra Rahul,
Tan See Mieng,
Lim Jane,
Chan Angelique,
Teoh Khim Hean,
Gan Sapphire Tsering,
Saito Yasuhiko
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
gerodontology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.7
H-Index - 54
eISSN - 1741-2358
pISSN - 0734-0664
DOI - 10.1111/ger.12218
Subject(s) - medicine , ethnic group , dentures , malay , gerontology , tooth loss , dentistry , oral health , demography , environmental health , linguistics , philosophy , sociology , anthropology
Objectives To assess the dental health status of older Singaporeans by age, gender and ethnicity. Background Poor dental health in elders has been linked to a number of adverse health conditions and is often associated with an increased risk of mortality in older people. Materials and methods Data came from a nationally representative cross‐sectional 2009 survey of community‐dwelling Singaporeans aged 60 and over. The distribution of the number of natural teeth, chewing ability and the presence of dentures were assessed by age, gender and ethnicity (Chinese/Malay/Indian) using sampling weights. Results With increasing age, there was a decrease in the average number of natural teeth, a decrease in the proportion of people with 20 or more natural teeth and with the strongest chewing ability, and an increase in the proportion that was edentulous or had dentures . Women, vs. men, had a lower average number of natural teeth (10.3 vs. 12.8), and they were more likely to be edentulous (37 vs. 24%) and to have dentures (73 vs. 63%). Across ethnic groups, Indians had the highest average number of natural teeth (17.0). However, among those who had dentures, Indians were the least likely to have the strongest chewing ability. Conclusions The findings demonstrated differences in dental health status by age, gender and ethnicity. They highlight the need for improvements in the dental health status of all older Singaporeans, especially older women. The data presented herein may serve as a baseline for policymakers to evaluate the impact of recent schemes launched by the Ministry of Health (Singapore) to subsidise dental treatment.